ASU Ben Jacobs pitches absolute gem in 11-1 win over Gonzaga

The Sun Devil starter was on perfect game watch, retiring the first 17 batters. Jacobs had control through 5.2 innings, with his control on his off-speed pitches and bringing the heat to tally up six strikeouts on the mound. He was one pitch away from leaving the sixth inning still perfect but on a full count with two outs, redshirt freshman Rece Schuerman hit a single to right field to kill two birds with one stone.

Despite losing the no-hitter and perfect game, Jacobs illustrated why he is ASU’s ace against a Gonzaga club that averaged 7.33 runs per game in its past three games but left Tempe with only one on the scoreboard.

The Sun Devils jumped on the Bulldogs early, scoring five runs in the first inning. After a club-leading 17th RBI by senior infielder Jacob Tobias to start the inning, ASU smashes two two-run RBI doubles by junior infielder Nu’u Contrades and senior catcher Manny Garza that blew the game open for the team, 5-0.

The bats went quiet until the back-half innings, where junior outfielder Kien Vu continued his hot streak at the plate. In the sixth inning, Vu smashed a 389-foot three-run moonshot over the right-center wall. Friday’s homer was the junior outfielder’s third in two games, bringing his season total to five. Vu is tied with graduate student catcher Josiah Cromwick as the club’s leader in home runs.

Vu found himself back at the plate an inning later and ended his day with an RBI double for a final tally of four RBIs. Vu helped push ASU to score six runs in the sixth and seventh innings, blowing up the lead 11-0. In his last two games, the San Diego native has five hits for three home runs and seven RBIs as he is on a tear in his third year as a Sun Devil.

ASU starts its three-game series against Gonzaga with a scorching 11-1 win. The program now stands at 10-4, the best 14-game start for head coach Willie Bloomquist-led team. The two will face off again on Saturday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, with Senior right-hander Jack Martinez expected to get the start for the Sun Devils.